The Endemic Disease Among Tibetan Monks

Shoshin

I came across an interesting Aussie doco regarding "The Endemic Disease Among Tibetan Monks" (Runs for around 25 minutes)

A friend who visits Tibetan Monasteries in India quite a bit, told me that one of the most common ailments for Tibetan Dharma teachers in the West is (believe it or not) 'stress'...She went on to explain how they are bombarded with their student's problems day in day out...and when they go back for a visit to India one of their first port of calls is to the local Tibetan Shaman for a quick pick-me-up...

BTW The doco is not about them being stressed out (by their whining students and their worries) , it's more serious...

person

Very nice, thanks for sharing.

Jeroen

Watched it, interesting how such a common complaint turns out to be a stomach bug. It’s difficult to get entirely away from the consequences of living in a country where people are not so set on hygiene.

Ukjunglist

@Kerome said:
Watched it, interesting how such a common complaint turns out to be a stomach bug. It’s difficult to get entirely away from the consequences of living in a country where people are not so set on hygiene.

I remember Ajahn Brahm talking about when he was studying under Ajahn Chah in Thailand, and how poor the hygiene was in his location. He ended up in hospital on the brink of death, and Ajahn Chah came to visit and simply said 'you will either pull through and recover, or you're going to die' lol

federica

^^Yup!^^ Sometimes, the choice is stark and basic. "This will either work - or it won't!"

techie

@Ukjunglist said:

@Kerome said:
Watched it, interesting how such a common complaint turns out to be a stomach bug. It’s difficult to get entirely away from the consequences of living in a country where people are not so set on hygiene.

I remember Ajahn Brahm talking about when he was studying under Ajahn Chah in Thailand, and how poor the hygiene was in his location. He ended up in hospital on the brink of death, and Ajahn Chah came to visit and simply said 'you will either pull through and recover, or you're going to die' lol

Hope he wasn't a doctor before he became a monk.

Shoshin

Due to the harsh and often cold conditions in some parts of Tibet, washing ones body was not a priority...However times are changing and hygiene practices are also improving ... But I guess Old habits die hard ( Conditioning comes to mind)